Will You Spring Forward to Seize the Day in Your Sales Leadership Career?

Hand with Time for Change Written
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It seems to me that Daylight Saving Time, or DST, is the seasonal manifestation of “carpe diem,” the Latin phrase commonly interpreted to mean “seize the day.” The goal of both is clear: use your time to its best advantage – for yourself and for others. In his book, Seize the Daylight, author David Prerau notes that, with DST, “the clock is usually moved one hour forward in spring and back in fall, giving rise to the mnemonic phrase ‘Spring Forward, Fall Back.’” Which brings me to this question: Are you prepared to spring forward and seize the day, or are you in danger of falling back deeper into your current dissatisfying professional rut? Consider this:

If You’re Not Moving Forward…

Actor Sam Waterston is credited with saying, “If you’re not moving forward, you’re falling back.” Others have said similar things, but the gist is the same: If you’re not moving in a purposeful direction – toward something meaningful and productive – you’re not merely standing still, but rather, you are being left behind. Ultimately, it’s your choice to lead, follow, or get out of the way. With a background as a sales leader, leading has been your ticket to success. But after a long career of accomplishment, are you ready and willing to set that aside and rest on your laurels? Or will you use your leadership skills and history of success as a springboard to new and fulfilling challenges?

Brighter Days

A forerunner of the Daylight Saving Time concept came from Benjamin Franklin, who, paraphrasing Aristotle, wrote “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Franklin was suggesting that we can accomplish more in the light of day than spending waking hours in the darkness. It’s a valid and timeless notion, promoted by influencers for centuries. Metaphorically speaking, it raises still more questions: Are you content to toil in the unfulfilling twilight of your career? Or are you looking ahead, ready to seize new challenges and reach new heights of success in brighter days to come?

What’s Next?

If you find yourself dissatisfied with the status quo, you’re probably also asking, “What’s next?” What are your options? How can you turn past success into future success?

First, an observation: I’ve discovered that many sales leaders ultimately become disenchanted with where they are. While grateful for their career in sales, sales management, and sales leadership – and what that career has made possible for their families – they find themselves in the winter of their discontent, yearning for something more, something new, something meaningful. They begin searching for their next professional act and an opportunity to work with purpose and renewed passion. They want to make money, of course, but they want something more – to make a difference. Author Bob Buford called this “moving from success to significance.” It’s a move that hundreds have already made, using their hard-earned success as a springboard to brighter days.

The Opportunity

If you fear falling back deeper into your current professional rut and want to spring forward and seize the day to work with purpose as you make a difference for yourself, your family, and clients who need your experience and expertise, an opportunity awaits. That opportunity is to become a sales leadership consultant, serving on a fractional-time basis as an Outsourced VP of Sales for small to mid-sized business owners. It’s an opportunity to use your sales leadership insights and wisdom to help businesses in your area. They need your help today, so now is the time to seize the day and spring forward to your next successful chapter in sales leadership.

To learn more about the sales leadership consulting opportunity from Sales Xceleration, click here or contact us today at 844.874.7253.